Celtic 2-1 Dundee: Player ratings + talking points, flurry of 4s as Hoops survive cup calamity thanks to subs impact
How we rated the Celtic players in their 2-1 Scottish Cup fifth round win against Dundee at Parkhead
Celtic scraped through to the Scottish Cup quarter-final draw after surviving a major scare against Dundee to progress as 2-1 winners in extra-time at Parkhead.
It was a flurry of substitutes who made the difference for Martin O’Neill’s side as the out-of-sorts Scottish champions limped into the last eight of the competition.
Visiting midfielder Ethan Hamilton’s sublime strike early in the second half stunned the home support and Tony Yogane passed up a glorious chance to wrap up a shock victory for the Dark Blues in the closing stages.
And the Tayside club were made to pay for that missed opportunity when Hoops debutant Junior Adamu produced an excellent back-heel finish from fellow replacement Sebastian Tounekti’s low cross in the 97th minute to send the tie into extra-time.
Tunisian winger Tounekti then fired the hosts in front shortly after the restart as Dundee began to tire defensively, with a huge sigh of relief let out both in the stands and from the home dugout at full-time.
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Celtic introduced latest signing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to supporters before kick-off and the former Arsenal and Liverpool midfielder’s first impression of his new team mates will have been one of concern.
This was a disjointed performance from last season’s beaten finalists, but they eventually showed the type of resolve that was typical of O’Neill’s first spell in charge of the club.
There were noticeable rows of empty seats with some fan groups staging a boycott of the fixture in protest against the board’s leadership this season, but those in attendance were only concerned about progression to the next round.
Ultimately, the goal was eventually achieved after 120 minutes, but it took until the arrivals of Tounetki and on-loan SC Freiburg centre-forward Adamu after 70 minutes to spark Celtic into life.
Adamu’s last-gasp leveller in regulation time was one of the few occasions where Celtic threatened in and around their opponents six-yard box. And Tounekti’s winner - after a clever give-and-go with Luke McCowan - sparked wild celebrations and left Dundee deflated.
Here, GlasgowWorld breaks down three main talking points from the game and how the Celtic players fared:
Large swathe of Celtic fans take part in boycott
The Celtic Fans Collective Group voted to swerve this cup tie as they attempted to send a clear message to those in power. The stadium was around half full, with punters who did turn up left far from pleased with their side’s display.
Barring the odd sing-song from the away section, the atmosphere was pretty flat throughout and the anger levels rose as the match wore on. Had it not been for new recruit Adamu’s dramatic equaliser, that frustration could easily have boiled over.
Adamu becomes instant hero
The Austrian international made exactly the type of impact he would’ve hoped for. First impressions count as a Celtic player as more often than not you’re judged from right from the get-go.
Not only did he pop up with an equaliser that proved to be the final kick of the ball, Adamu looked strong and direct. He will be delighted to get off the mark on his debut and has immediately got fans onside.
Tounekti gets Celts out of jail
Prior to the Tunisian’s introduction, Celtic were heading out of the Scottish Cup. He hit the byline to set up Adamu’s 97th minute goal to set up an additional 30 minutes before cutting inside and firing low beyond the keeper into the bottom corner to make it 2-1.
Since returning from AFCON last month, Tounekti has looked a completely different player. Outstanding against Dundee United recently, this was another hugely impressive impact from off the bench.
GK - Viljami Sinisalo (5/10)
RB - Julian Araujo (6/10)
LCB - Liam Scales (4/10)
CM - Callum McGregor (6/10)
CM - Reo Hatate (5/10)
CM - Paulo Bernardo (4/10)
LCF - Joel Mvuka (4/10)
RCF - Yang Hyun-jun (4/10)
CF - Tomas Cvancara (6/10)